Apparatus for drying veneers



-(No Model.)

J. YQ BTTEYS. APPARATUS FOR DRYING VENEERS.

No. 463,917. Patented Nov; 24,1891

ffy- WII/VESSES H provements in the method of drying veneer and the necessary drying racks or support after having its bark removed.

secured in the machine and revolved in the UNrTE STATES JOHN Y. PETTEYS, OF

MCINTOSH, FLORIDA.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING VENEERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,917, dated November 24, 1891.

Application filed November 4, 1890, Serial No, 370,279. (No model.) i

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Y. PETTEYs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mo- Intosh, in the county of Marion and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Drying Veneers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful imfor the same, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my dryinghouse partly filled with veneers. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, shown in two parts, while Fig. 3 is a detail view of the securing device by which the separate ribs are adjustably secured to the supports.

I will first describe the process by which I prepare the timber ready for being cut into veneers of any preferred thickness.

The tree from which the veneer is to be made is selected and is cut in suitable lengths These sections of the tree are placed in a suitably-constructed tank or vat that Will be steam-tight when closed, and the sections are then subjected by pressure of steam, which enters every pore of the wood, and removes in this way the natural acidity common in most timber of southern growth. After the sections have thus been subjected to a steam-pressure of any preferred degree they are removed, and after sufficiently cooled they are placed in the machine. The sections are properly usual manner, and the knife is so adjusted that the sections will practically be unrolled in the form of one continuous sheet of the thickness preferred. This method of preparing veneer is especially applicable to the formation of the sides of orange-boxes, though it may be equally adapted to other cases, the essential feature being to remove the natural acidity of the timber, which if allowed to remain prevents the timber from becoming dry or suitably seasoned for use, owing to the humidity of the atmosphere in Southern States contiguous to the ocean. After the veneer has thus been prepared it is cut into suitable widths to form the orange-boxes or other purposes for which it is intended.

I will now proceed to describe the construction of the drying racks or house that I prefer to use in drying the sections of veneer.

I11 order to economize space and also to provide for afree circulation of air between eachof the sections, I erect a series of posts A on aline parallel with each other, of suitable height to support a roof that will be out of the way of the attendants. I form this roof by nailing at rightangles atthe top of each post the beam B, which extends out at each side sufficiently to provide ample covering for the contents of the rack, as will be hereinafter described. The roof 0 is erected upon the beams in any preferred. way, while the sides are left free and open. The posts A may be braced at their lower ends by inclined braces A. Upon each side of the series of posts A, I effectively secure the parallel supporting-bars D upon either side and directly opposite each other. These supporting-bars are duplicated upon each side of the posts A at a suitable distance apart, such distance being determined by the width of the sections of veneer to be dried. To the supporting-bars I adjustably secure the separating cleats or partitions E, of which vast numbers are used, as it is usually necessary that one cleat or partition should be between each section of veneer. These cleats are preferably made to extend from the top supporting-bars to the lower bars, and are ad; justably secured to said bars by the device shown most clearlyin Fig. 3 of the drawings. Each horizontal supporting-bar D is formed on its outer side with a longitudinal groove or recess D. On the outer side of the bars D are nailed or otherwise secured the upper and lower longitudinal strips F, which .are arranged to leave between their inner longitudinal edges the open slot G, thus contracting the width of the outer side of the longitudinal recesses D. The recesses D can of course be cut or formed in the bars D with contracted outer sides, forming narrow slots G; but I find it cheaper to cut the plain reioo cesscs D in the bars and then nail on the straight outer strips F, which maybe of metal, wood, or any suitable material.

H in dicatesad j lIlStlllg-bOlilS, the square heads of which fit and slide in the recesses D of the horizontal bars D. The stems of these bolts project through the slots G and through apertures e in the vertical cleats or partitions E, and have milled or thumb nuts I on their outer threaded ends. It will now be seen that by loosening the nuts I the cleats E can be adjusted along thehorizontal supportingbars D, so as to clamp the sections of veneer between them, and are readily secured in their adjusted positions, so as to hold the ve neer sections firmly in straight positions by tightening the nuts I. The square heads of the bolts H slide in the square recesses D in the horizontal bars D, the neck or stem of the bolts sliding in the slots G and the strips F holding the heads of the bolts in the recesses D, as will be readily understood.

After the sections of veneer have been prepared, as herein described, they are taken to the dryin g-house an d placed so as to rest upon one edge upon a pair of supporting-bars and between one of the cleats or partitions. By thus placing the sections of veneer between the series of cleats or partitions they are held so as to prevent warping during the process of drying, and will he thus held in a straight upright position. After they have become suiliciently dry they are removed from the d ryin g-racks and properly piled one upon the other, so that any remaining warp in them will be removed.

Eelicving that the advantages and operation of my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, further description is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i The combination of the posts A, the roof mounted on the same, the horizontal grooved supporti ng-bars secured opposite to each other on both sides of the posts A, and the upright cleats or partitions E, adjustably mounted on the outer sides of the opposite longitudinal bars by means of headed bolts engaging the grooves, and said cleats being adapted to sup port the sections of veneer so that they will dry in a straight and unwarped condition, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J OIIN Y. IE'ITEYS.

Witnesses:

W. T. FITZGERALD, GRAHAM fl). GoRnoN. 

